Strickland l



s. L. KNEASS.

INJECTOR.

APPLICATIUN FILED 0m23.191s.

Patented Oct. 7, 1919.

F/G. l.

W/T/VESS:

TTOH/VEK unirse srarns rariiufr STRICKLAND L. iKNEAs, F PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA., ASSGrlATOIt TQ 'W-ILLM SELLERS AND COMPANY, INCORPORATED, OF

CORPORATION 0F YENNSYINANI/ LEHILADELPHEA, lPlENNYLVAlNTll., .it

State of Pennsylvania', have inventeda new j and usefull Improvement in Injectors, of which the following is a, full, clear, and exact description, reference being hadto the acicoriipanyingdrawings, which form a part of this speciiicatiOm-n' My invention relates ,to injectors adapted for use in feeding boilers, and particularly to such* injectors `as appliedl to locomotives, wherein, owing to lack of space in the cab, the injector is usually positioned outside the cab and therefore is not within the range of observation of the engine driver. From a i -variety of'causes, the injector mayfail to work properly. Thus, operating conditions may be interrupted by a cessation of the supf ply of water or steam, or by failure 'to maintain the relative proportions of water and steam within the limiting range ot maximum and minimum capacities of the injector. These abnormal conditions producediflerent results, such as failure of the injector to receive a proper supply of water, wastage of Y.water at theoverow, and blowing back oitl steam through the suction pipe, all of which it is important to avoid, `or att least. to' j `'vacuum within the combining-tube of the injector, or within a containing chamber, to

promptly correct.

The object of my invention is to provide an indicator, positioned within the cab, and readily observable, which will be operated by the -correct functioning of the jet but which will cease to be so operated inV the event ofany abnormal operation., or any 4 failure in operation', of the injector, and

which will also, by operating in a differential manner, show to the engine driver when the minimum capacity 'of theinjector has been reached.

To particularize yDuringl the operation ofthe injector, if the relative proportions of water and steam are within the limiting range of maximum and minimum capacities,

there willbe a partial vacuum within certain parts of the combining` tube, which may even extend to the minimum diameter of the des livery tube. When the combining tube is provided, as is usual, with an outlet opening into an inclosing chamber sealed against admission of air, the internal vacuum will be communicated to this chamber. The par- I y Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented @eta "Si,

Application med october 23, 191s. semi no. ascesi,

tial vacuum or absoluteI pressure within this chamber approaches atmospheric `pressure f.

as the maximum vand minimum limits cipro-1 l' y. portlon of water to steamv are reached. 'At

bination 'with the entering steam will pro duce acontinuous jet through the deliyery tube without discharge of steam or water at the overilow opening from the bodyjfofthc injector; under which condition 4the equilibrium ,orpressure condition of thel jet while i passing an opening of the combining tube ifi is unstable or variable, the, inner pressure fluctuating from three or*l four inchesfo'lA vacuum to or abcve atmospheric pressure.

If a supply of Water isv admitted above the maximum capacity of .the injector, or itthe p 'v temperature of the supply water be raised to the vlimit,.or if the supply of steam or water is interrupted, the injector will waste waterpr steam at the overflow. 'Whenever there iswastage at the overflow, the pressure within the inclosi g chambermust be equal -to `or abovethat o the atmosphere.y

In my invention I utilize the` partial with wastage at the overow, and utilize such variations, when they exceed the normal limits, to eitherV permit the return of the indicator to 'norma-l position or cause it to vibrate backand forth, as hereinafter described.

Mv invention is also advantageously applied\to lifting injectors placed in the cab of a locomotive or even for stationary service when the overflow opening from the body of the injector is close-coupled so that the waste of water or steam cannot `be observed by the operator- One preferred embodiment of my invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, whereinoverflow of the combining tube. f is an inlet for steam; admission of steam being contrplled by a valve, not shown, operable by dit ' the casing z' to the injector proper.

the engine driver.` g is the outlet from the injector to the boiler.

A. valve casing is located alongside and forms part of the injector body. Casing i contains an opening j for admission of water frein the supply tank and a valve 7c coperating with a valve seat to control the admission of water from the supply through rllhe spindle m of the valve is threaded in a stuffing box and is turnable, through mechanism, not shown, and operable from the cab, to regulate the supply of watery to the in jectcr.

Located alongside and forming part ofy the injector body'is a casin contammg a pipe a opening into the cham er e and provided with a valve seat, alwaste pipe 0, and a valve p seated on said seat. The valve p opens to permit the discharge of water or steamin case the supply of water is above :that of the maximum capacity, or below that ofthe minimum capacity, or above the limiting temperature of the injector; and closes to seal against admission of air and maintain the' operating vacuum in the overflow chamber under normal operating conditions.

The valveip operates automatically, but its opening may, at will, be governed by the screw stem g, which is turnable, through mechanism not shown, by the driver.

Without modifying the construction ofthe injector, 'I have arranged for indicating to the driver predetermined variations in absolute pressure of the moving jet by connecting the overflow chamber e (in which, as well as in the 'combining tube such variations occur), by means of a pipe r, with aV Laisse@ joint at each end of its stroke, preventing inflow of air or outflow pf steam or Water at its terminal positions.

When admission of water to the'combining tube is permitted by opening the regulating valve It', the ressure within the chamber e may be equal9 to, or above, the atmospheric pressure, and in such case, the position of the indicator t will not be affected and will be visible to the operator at the lowest position. When the steam admission valve isgradually opened, lifting the water supply or forcing a flow of water from the overflow, there will be .a plenum within the chamber e and the indicator twill remain seated at the lower end of the stroke. When the steam valve is opened wide and the correct adjustmentof water and steam is obdicate t0 the engine driver that normal conditions exist within'the injector and .par-

ticularly that there is no waste at the overflow. l

lf normal operating conditions be interrupted either by a cessation of supply of water or steam, the partial vacuum within the inclosing chamber e will'be lost and the change of condition will be communicated to the cylinder s; ravity will cause the piston t to drop, exhiiting to the operator the projecting lower end of the piston stem and indicating that an abnormal condition eX- ists. When the supplyv of water or steam is resumed, ifthe injector be of the type that restarts automatically, as is the injector illustrated, a'partial vacuum will again be obtained Within vthe combining tube and the indicator will return to its raised position, indicating that the injector is feeding the boiler without waste.

It is frequently desirable to throttle down the supply of Water close to the minimum eapacity of the injector, which is obviously difficult because of the likelihood of reducing the water supply below the minimum capacity. lf this should occur with an injector which is not capable of restartingautomatically, the continuity of the jet will be broken, and steam will discharge through the water-admission valve into the supply pipe with a tendency to overheat' the suppl y above the ability of the injector to use it. ln any case, the continuity of the jet may be partially or completely destroyed and steam and hot Water discharge from the water pipe, with danger of injury to attendant, employee or passenger, standing near the overflow pipe. As the supply of water is after, slight variations in the pressure of water and steam and the condition of .the

jet cause :frequentv and rapid changes in the.

pressure within. the chamber e., the fluctuationsl being from below to above atmospheric pressure. These fluctuations are communicated to the indicator and produce a condition of unstable equilibrium in the po.

sition of the piston t, showing to the observer thatthe exact minimum capacity of the injector has been reached. Y

It is obvious that, the invention is not limited to the specific embodiment thereof herein specifically described, as the skilled engineer, familiar with the inventive conception inherent therein, can readily apply or devise modications'operating on the same principle.

A further advantage `of this form of indicator -which is sealed against overflow when the pressure within the combining 'tube and inclosing overflow chamber of theinjector exceeds that of the atmosphere is that no steam or water will issue from the indicator when it is necessary to heat the water vsupply linl winter, requiring the'closing of the waste valve p by means of the stem g so that the steam entering through the steam nozzle will flow back through suction inlet j intothe tank.

it will be observed that in. the embodiment of the invention disclosed, the indicator, while the injector is not operating, will assume the same position that yit assumes when, during the ,operation of the indicator, abnormal conditions arise, and .that ,the movement of the indicator away from this position is eii'ected only by the proper functioning of the jet. In other words, the indicator is moved away from its normal position by the proper functioning of the et. Vlien the operation of the injector is started, the indicator does not recede from its normal position until the jet is properly function` ing, and it resumes its normal position of indication or alarm only when the jet funetions abnormally or, by the stoppage of the' injector, ceases to function altogether.

Having now fully described my invention, what I claim and desire to protect by Letters Patent is: j

1. The combination with an injector, of an indicator, said parts comprising provisions constructed and arranged to cause the indicator to be operable from its normal position by the jet. 'r

2. The combination with an injector iiicluding the combining tube thereof having an opening, of an injector indicator comcorrect functioning of the l municating with said opening, said parts comprising provisions constructed and ar- .ranged to cause the indicator to be operable by the passage of the jet.,

3. The combination with an injectorincluding the combining tube-thereof having an opening, of an injector indicator -communicating with said opening, said parts comprising provisions constructed and arand arranged to cause the indicator -to be operable bythe passage of the jet of water and combined steam across said opening.

5. The combination, with .an injector in- Y i cluding a combiningztube' andan ofiferflowfchamber containing an openingof lthe comprisinga piston, and means for'communicatling a change of pressure in the 4overfiow bining tube, of an injector indicator "comchamber toa face of the piston. y

6. The combination, with an injectorhaving an opening between the Water inlet and the delivery end, of a. pneumaticallyfopei'able indicator, and means aEording pneumatic communication through 'saidopening 'betweenthe interior of the injector and the indicator, said indicator being operable in one direction by atmospheric pressure working in conjunction with a partial vacuum within the injector and in the other direction against said atmospheric pressure byV within the injector. y

a predetermined rise in absolute `pressure los 7. The combination, with. an inl cluding the combining tube and a chamber communicating with an outlet from the combining tube, of an indicator sealedy againstV fluid admission and outflow, said parts comprising provisions constructed and arranged to cause the indicator to be operable, by reduction of absolute pressure-in said chamber, to indica-te the correct functioning of the injector.

8. The combination, with anpinjector including its combining tube and a chamber communicating with an opening of the combining tube, of an indicator, said parts comprising provisions constructed and arranged to cause the indicator to be operable by variations of absolute pressure in said'chamber to record the point of regulation for y minimum capacity of the injector.

9. The combination, with an injector including its overflow chamber, of an indicator, said indicator comprising means operable at `the limiting point of regulation for the minimum capacity of the injector, said means including a; pneumatically operable device subjected to oppositely acting atmospherc *pressure outside the injector and absolute pressure Within the overflow chamber.

l0. In an injector, the-combination, with the `combining'tube, the main water entrance thereto,'the delivery tube and a chamber in- Vclosing the .combining tube and-communicant: Y- 10 ing therewith between sald Inaln water en' -444 vtrance of the combining tube and the delivery tube, of an indicator operable in one direction by the atmosphere in conjunction hereunto set my hand,v at Philadelphia,

Penna., on this 21st day-ofl October, 1918.

, STRICKLAND L. EKNEASS. v' 

